Secrets in the Bullpen
by KatherineKent
Summary: What goes on in the Staff meetings if Clark and Lois are not there.
1. Chapter 1

Just a quick one shot - What goes on in the Staff meetings if Clark and Lois are not there.

* * *

><p>"Everyone here?" called out Randall.<p>

"All except Lane and Kent. I guess they are out on assignment," came the reply.

"In that case I'm gonna slip in a quick extra item before we move onto the agenda and that's the current state of the pot," he looked up with a childish grin.

A stocky, greying, middle-aged man sat at the far end of the conference table cleared his throat and shuffled. He placed a battered tin on the table in front of him and pulled out a worn piece of paper. "Um, we currently stand at five hundred and twenty dollars. Up-coming dates ..." he paused and looked down at the paper in his hands, smoothing out some wrinkles. "Simmons has tomorrow. McLearey has the 15th." He looked back up. "Everyone else either missed or is further in the future."

"Ok," Randall spoke again. "Anyone want to add to the pot?"

A few bottoms shuffled as people reached for their wallets. "I'll take a date," said Jacobs, holding up five dollars. "14th please." The bill got passed down and stuffed into the pot.

"I want to change mine," Patterson stood. "Did you see them yesterday? It was like a nuclear meltdown. I expected the news room to explode."

"Sure. What new date do you want then?"

"Take me off the 21st. I'm gonna take Wednesday." He sat back down with a smug smile on his face.

"You still need to pay up. Changing a date still costs five dollars." He raised his eyebrows and sighed dramatically, passing down his fee.

"So. Stuart, Kelly and Matty. Your predictions all passed this last week. Want to buy a new date? Remember it actually costs ten dollars to buy a new one if you failed with your last one."

"Ok," spoke Kelly. "Give me Sunday," and she passed down her money.

"Is that is?" asked Randall. There were multiple murmurs and nods. "Then, down to business. Item one..."

* * *

><p>Three doors down two figures stood in silence in the store room. Lois narrowed her eyes and tilted her head copying Clark, as if that would help her to experience the same thing he was. His whole focus was on the door out into the corridor, but Lois knew that it wasn't really what he was focussed on. When he blinked and turned away from the door she grinned.<p>

"So, are they done?" she asked eyes twinkling brightly.

"Yes!" Clark stepped over to her and took hold of her by the waist.

"What's the pot at?"

"Five hundred and forty dollars." He grinned at her and pulled her closer at the waist. "Do you think we should tell them yet?" he asked.

"No," Lois smiled slyly and slid her hand up and round Clark's neck. "Let's wait till it gets to a thousand dollars then break it to them that it's all invalid as we've been together all along."

"Lois Lane, you can be so cruel sometimes," he grinned again and dropped his eyes to her lips. On an impulse he lifted her from the waist and sat her on the table behind. She gave a little squeak of surprise. He stepped closer, into the space between her legs, and she flicked a knowing glance up and down his body.

"So, now they've finished, do you think we should go and join the staff meeting?"

"They think we are on assignment, Smallville. Let's keep it that way," Lois replied breathlessly then pulled Clark's lips down to meet hers.

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><p>Hope you liked it.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey, thanks for all your comments. You don't know how much I really appreciate them._

So it happened. I did come up with another secret ... and another 'pot'. See what you think.

**Part 2**

Randall looked up from his desk and glanced around the room surreptitiously. They were gone ... and the bullpen was quiet. He looked from side to side, making absolutely sure they were not around and then he stood and announced in a loud voice.

"Ok, as the last pot was a bust I propose a new one. **Propose**being the operative word."

A sudden flurry of movement had journalists, copy boys and photographers scrambling for their wallets immediately.

* * *

><p>"OK, Kent and Lane are away again," Randall announced at a staff meeting many weeks later.<p>

"Probably 'at it' in the store room," snickered Stuart. There were quiet laughs from around the table.

"Yeah we all know what they do in there." Patterson waggled his eyebrows up and down.

"I once saw Lane come back with two buttons ... not undone ... but missing ... from her blouse." Kelly's eyes were wide as she related the information.

"And Kent, he always looks wind-blown whenever he returns; ruffled hair and shirt."

"People, people ... on track please. Gary, the tin." He indicated with a nod of his head and the stocky, greying, middle-aged man who'd kept the previous tin stood and pulled it out again.

"The pot stands at $325.00. Place your bets."

"Tomorrow," came a confident voice immediately.

"Olsen?" Randall frowned at the new intern.

"What? I can't join in as I'm an intern?" the new recruit answered back.

"No! I just wonder why you are so confident. Do you have some insider knowledge?" Randall narrowed his eyes.

"If you're asking me whether Clark has confided in me, then I can truthfully answer that he hasn't." Jimmy grinned and held out his note.

"Alright, you can have tomorrow. Anyone else." He looked around the room to see a few nods.

* * *

><p><em>2 hours previous.<em>

"Jimmy, believe me, I'm right about this." She peered around the corner and when she saw a fellow reporter striding down the corridor in her direction she grabbed hold of Jimmy's arm and dragged him backwards and into an empty office. "He's been talking about a special celebration and he's booked the swanky restaurant. He keeps giving me these funny looks and making pertinent comments." She paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. "And then the General called last night and I had the weirdest conversation with him."

Jimmy didn't say anything, just looked back at her. Lois pointed out the door. "Anyway, go in there and put down for tomorrow. We'll split the winnings."

Jimmy finally found his voice. "If you and Clark know about the pot then how come he's not the one placing his bet, seeing as he is the only one who knows when he'll propose?"

"Clark would never do anything so ... dishonest. He's the perfect Boy Scout. It's not right and it's not fair and he'll never take advantage of his foreknowledge in that way." Lois looked all stern and reproachful. Suddenly there was a grin on her face. "Me ... on the other hand."

Jimmy frowned a little, confused. "So ... you and he have discussed this then? Doesn't that mean that you already ARE ... ?"

Lois shook her head. "No, it was a random comment after he found out about the pot ... and then we both stood awkwardly staring at each other for a minute. Then we never mentioned it again."

"How did you even find out?"

"Well, Clark has ... certain skills, let's say. He's not quite the useless bumbling reporter he pretends to be."

Jimmy frowned, taking and logging that strange piece of information for later.

* * *

><p>Two days later Jimmy collected his winnings.<p>

Lois dragged him into the elevator as soon as she got the opportunity. "Come on. Pay up," she said. Jimmy rolled his eyes and reached into his back pocket to draw out the stack he'd just claimed.

"So, I figure I at least deserve an in-depth description of the evening, seeing as I've just made you $170.00." As he drew out his wallet and began to count through the notes Lois smiled.

"Well, the meal was just lovely. And he'd ordered champagne. I guess the pianist playing 'our song' was a bit cheesy, but ... I can live with that." She held out her hand, palm flat.

Jimmy sighed. It just didn't feel right to win the money in this way. But now that he had ... it was difficult to hand over half. Realising that he'd made a deal though, and he couldn't back out of it, especially not with Lois Lane, he began counting again.

Before the bills could fully change hands the elevator doors opened and both occupants looked up to find Clark Kent standing there. Momentarily stunned they were unable to move and then suddenly the notes were no longer in Jimmy's hand, but Clark's.

"I'll be taking that Jimmy." He grinned cheekily.

"Clark!" shouted Lois. He just looked at her knowingly and raised an eyebrow.

"You see, Jimmy," he continued to talk to the intern, "Lois is telling everyone that I proposed _**last** _night ... the date that you soooo coincidentally chose." He turned and glanced deliberately at Lois. "And while that is true in the general sense it was actually 12:05 am _**this** _morning."

Lois opened her mouth to protest but Clark silenced her with a laugh. "If you doubt it, Lois, then I can have the waiter who brought your desert corroborate the time for you." He raised an eyebrow and then turned and walked away.

Lois closed her mouth after a few seconds and turned to Jimmy. "Tell no-one," she spoke sternly, then ran after her fiancé grinning.

She'd thought she was only getting half the money.

Well, she got it all – THEY got it all.

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><p>I do have a few more ideas - so there will be further 'secrets' - but they are very vague thoughts at the moment.<p>

Don't forget to comment.


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